Finding My Balance
by Enigmaforum
Summary: It was just a nightmare. It shouldn’t have brought up as many disturbing memories as it had. It shouldn’t have caused her so much distress. And it most definitely shouldn’t have brought her to him.


**Disclaimer: I still don't own PR. Wish I did but sadly that's not ever happening unless Disney decides to gift me with it. **

**AN: So I decided that there was a lack of Flynn/Gemma fiction out there. I really do like them as a pairing so this idea just kind of popped into my head. I hope you enjoy it. And once again..I tried to do Flynn's accent justice. I apologize if there are any mistakes there. Also to those who tried to read this story earlier but read something else..I'm so sorry! Stupid document thingy. But it's fixed now. Sorry for the confusion! **

**Dedication: To my lovely sister Pink_Green_White_4ever. Who let me ramble on about this and who suggested the amazing title. **

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She was being chased through the desert but she didn't know by what. It was a monster of some sort but she didn't dare turn around to see anything else. She had to keep running, had to keep going, had to lead it away from where she and Gem had been hiding for all those months. If the monster discovered what they'd been doing then it'd all be over. She had to lead it away from Gem and the cave. The only problem was that she'd been running for god knows how long and the heat was really starting to get to her. It was making her tired and her body was definitely slowing down as the monster was gaining on her. But she kept pushing, kept running until finally her body gave out and she collapsed into the simmering desert sand.

Panic overwhelmed her when she hit the ground and she scrambled to push herself back up, but Gemma's body was having absolutely none of it. It was exhausted and going to stay right where it was despite the fact that there was a monster fast approaching. What was worse was that she couldn't even get to her morpher and she was sure that it would be useless if she could use it because she had no energy. She could sense the monster getting closer, could feel its eyes on her, the hunger in the breaths it took, she could feel, could feel it, and then nothing.

Gemma's eyes flew open as she bolted upright in bed. She heard herself gasping for breath as she focused on clearing her head and making the room stop the spinning it was currently doing. She took deep breaths as she attempted to right her world and convince herself that everything she had just seen was only a dream. Just a dream. That's all it was; a dream playing off of the memories that she tried not to think about now in days. She was alright, she was safe, she was in Corinth and she wasn't in the Wasteland anymore. Everything was alright.

That's what Gemma kept telling herself as she glanced around the room to find that Gem was undisturbed in his own slumber and in that instant she knew she had to get out of the room. She needed air and she needed water because her throat was killing her. She just needed to not be near her bed at the moment and those thoughts propelled her to quietly slip out of her bed and then move just as quietly through her shared room with Gem to get to the door. She was out in the hallway in a matter of seconds and closing the door behind her, all the while thanking the stars that Gem hadn't woken up throughout her entire ordeal. As much as she loved her brother, she didn't need him comforting her right now. She just needed to get away from this room and the memories it was making her relive right now.

It was with that thought on her mind that Gemma found herself moving on autopilot down the stairs and through the common living area that she and the rest of the Rangers occupied when they weren't fighting Venjix. She barely registered that the television was still on and that there was a form on the couch watching it as she moved into the kitchen. When she was finally in the room she went to the cabinets, pulled out a glass, and filled it with water. She gulped the liquid like it would be the last time she ever got it and felt her throat calm down as she did so. Gemma was grateful for that as she pulled the glass away and wiped her mouth on the back of her hand, not really caring for any kind of propriety right now. After all, it was late and despite the fact that her body had calmed down from the nightmare her mind was still racing.

She couldn't stop thinking about what had happened in her head. She couldn't stop thinking about the Wasteland and how hard she'd had to fight there. The memories being brought to life were ones she'd worked so so hard to push away because they were something that no person should ever have to live through once let alone relive again and again. But it seemed that her subconscious had other plans for her tonight; ones that involved her on the verge of a panic attack because her brain wouldn't shut up. She didn't want to think right now, didn't want to relive the desperation and fear that had griped her out in the Wasteland but she couldn't stop. It wouldn't stop and Gemma was absolutely terrified because she couldn't do anything about it.

When she noticed her hands shaking, Gemma quietly put her glass on the counter and let herself lean against it. She tried to take deep breaths in order to calm herself down, closed her eyes to will the world away, and tried her best to just make everything disappear. Unfortunately for Gemma, her plan would never get the chance to work because it was intercepted by a rather disheveled looking Blue Ranger by the name of Flynn.

"Gemma?"

His voice made her jump and her eyes snap open and fly to him. She was surprised to find that instead of his usual jeans and t-shirt, he had on blue sweat pants and a white undershirt that really just made him look all the more in shape. His hair was going every which way and if Gemma were to be honest right now Flynn McAllister looked adorable and was providing a nice distraction for her mind. However, what she didn't like was the fact that his eyes screamed of concern and it had to be for her. She didn't want that because it would mean Flynn would want to talk, to make her talk, and she didn't want to talk. She didn't want to relive so she was going to have to try and convince the man who'd become one of her best friends and object of her crush that she was just fine.

"Y-yeah?" she asked slowly and at the confirmation that it was indeed her Flynn moved into the room and of course he came to stand right in front of her. That concern was still there as he crossed his arms in front of his chest and just looked at her for a moment before finally deciding to speak.

"You're up awfully late lass, is everythin' alrigh'?"

"F-fine," she answered quickly. "Just thirsty is all."

"Thirsty?" he asked and she nodded quickly.

Flynn's eyes hardened just a bit at her answer and he let out a breath of air that he'd been holding in.

"Really? Because you walked righ' past me lass, no hi or how are you, somethin' you usually do when you see me."

"Oh, well, I was really parched. I was going to say hi on my way back upstairs," Gemma answered quickly. Entirely too quickly for Flynn's tastes as he adjusted his position just a bit to put himself a little closer to her body.

"Well lass when you walked past me it looked like you were scared out of yer mind. An' I was watchin' you just now an' you just, you looked shaken as all hell. You still look shaken. I'm worried because this isn't you. What happened Gemma?"

Gemma felt her heart stop at the vast amount of concern she saw openly displayed on Flynn's face and felt a crack begin to surface on the already weak armor she'd put up upon his entrance tonight. She didn't necessarily want to breakdown in front of him but here Flynn was, pushing her despite the resistance when all she wanted to do was make the world right again.

"Please don't ask me that," she whispered quietly, pulling her arms up to cross in front of her chest only to be stopped his hands on her wrists. "Stop that. I don't want to talk about it."

"You may not want to but I think you need to Gemma. Whatever it is it's makin' you jumpy an' I'm worried for you and about what I've seen here tonight. And I don' like worrying about you lass. I care about you too much for that."

Gemma felt her eyes widen at those last words and she felt that armor being to crack just a little more and tears were threatening to make an appearance in her eyes right about now. She really didn't want to do this in front of Flynn of all people, but he'd just said that he cared about her and from the way he was looking at her he apparently cared quite a lot. But still, she was Gemma, she was happy and bubbly and she just didn't breakdown because of stupid nightmares bringing up old memories.

"Flynn I don't want to talk about it. It's stupid really. Just a stupid nightmare and.." She closed her mouth after she let the last part slip out and saw his eyes change from concerned to understanding in an instant.

"A nightmare has what's got you like this then?" he asked and she nodded after a moment's hesitation. No sense in denying it now that he knew about it.

"What was it about lass?"

"N-nothing. It was stupid. Please stop asking questions," Gemma whispered quietly, desperate to throw him off because that armor was holding on by its mere hinges right now. She wanted to cry and tell him everything because for some strange reason, she felt like he'd make her world right again.

Gemma guessed it was because she and Flynn had become increasingly close over the past few weeks. Ever since working together, Gemma had been trying to find reason to just be alone with Flynn but it was hard. Gem always seemed to be around when they got close to being alone together but sometimes they managed it. Those were times that Gemma absolutely treasured because Flynn got her in ways that Gem didn't. She always felt safe when she was with him, comfortable, she could easily tell him all about it. But her pride was still wide awake inside of her and she was still resolved to not break down in front of him. That was until she made the very big mistake of looking into Flynn's eyes and saw the determination and the compassion rooted in them.

"It's got you awfully shaken up so it can't have been that stupid lass. Tell me what happened in your nightmare. It'll make you feel better. I promise."

"You don't know that," she accused roughly, pulling her arms out of his grasp and turning herself away from Flynn and most importantly his entirely too disarming eyes. She thought that maybe just maybe that action would make him get the message and leave her alone. She didn't want to upset him but she didn't want to talk about this right now. She didn't want to talk about what that nightmare was ever.

For a few moments, Gemma thought that maybe this attempt at throwing Flynn off had worked, that maybe just maybe he'd leave her alone with her thoughts. But those hopes went to hell the moment she felt Flynn's warm body behind hers and his arms wrapping around her waist to tug her to him. She felt herself let out a hiccup of surprise at the sudden contact of her body to his but found that she honestly couldn't fight him off. His touch was actually a welcome thing after that nightmare and Gemma found herself wanting to melt into him when he put his chin on her shoulder.

"I do know that actually. Talkin' about things helps you sort them out. Your nightmare obviously freaked you out an' I want to help you not be so scared. I'm not letting you leave until you talk lass."

His deliciously attractive voice was right by her ear and the contact of his breath to her skin made her shiver and curse him at the same time. Why in Corinth's name did he have to be so concerned about her? Why did he have to make her want to tell him everything? Why did she suddenly feel so right being encased in his strong arms? There were so many questions running through her head right now and it was because of that and the reassurance that Flynn was right there with her, that her armor just up and fell away. Before she could even stop herself, Gemma found her mouth flying open and quick whispered words were coming out. She had to be quick about it, anything else and she'd completely fall apart.

"I was in the Wasteland. Alone. I was trying to lure a monster away from the base Gem and I had set up. So I ran, I ran hard and fast, and I really tried to keep going but it was just so so hot that my body gave out on me. And then I could feel the monster on me and..it was just awful," she finished softly, trying to take deep breaths of air as she felt Flynn hug her body closer. She shivered again when his hand came up to stroke her arm in comfort.

"I don't blame you for bein' scared like you were lass. The Wasteland's a scary place for anyone."

"You have no idea," she murmured, just loud enough for the two of them to hear in the faint light of the kitchen. "The nightmare wasn't so bad…it just brought up memories of actually living there. The things we saw there, the people we couldn't save, the attack bots we couldn't stop, all of the desperation and fear. The things that I've tried so so hard to get rid of. Things I don't want to think about, they just came and hit me full on tonight Flynn. It just freaked me out."

Gemma felt herself let out a breath of relief as she finished talking. She wasn't exactly sure if she felt any better about it but she definitely didn't feel any worse. The only thing that was really bothering her was that she'd given into Flynn's demand, she'd given into a moment of weakness. Weakness, to Gemma, had always been something that hadn't existed before becoming a Ranger. In Alphabet Soup she hadn't had to worry because she hadn't known any other life than being one of the best. In the Wasteland, weakness was a dangerous thing to show because monsters would use it and exploit you in a heartbeat. In Corinth, Gemma had adopted much the same policy, even with her teammates. She acted like she had in Alphabet Soup because that was easier than being a hardened warrior that sometimes jumped at sudden noises and sounds. She hid herself well from others for her own protection, but now that shell was being cracked wide open in front of someone she cared about. Someone she was coming to care for an awful lot.

But once again, she found that being in Flynn's arms, taking comfort from his strength and most importantly the warmth of his embrace wasn't such a bad thing. It felt right, she felt good like this, and these were things she hadn't ever considered before.

"Gemma, I can' imagine what you an' Gem went through in the Wasteland. I can't even begin to imagine what it was like to actually live out there with nowhere else to go. So I'm not going to pretend to understand because that would be wrong of me," he began very softly, pausing ever so briefly in order to turn her around to face him. He still kept her in his arms, still held her close, but she made sure to keep her gaze on him. His face was serious but his eyes held all the compassion in the world. Gemma wanted to melt under them, but she somehow managed to keep herself in check.

"But what I can tell you is that right now, in this moment, you're safe. I can' always promise it'll be that way because we have dangerous jobs but for the moment you are safe. I won' let you be anythin' else right now lass."

When his forehead came to rest on hers, Gemma felt her breathing literally stop in her throat. This entire night seemed be full of things she hadn't been expecting but for the first time all night, Gemma found herself not caring. Flynn's words had warmed her and now his touch was soothing her in ways she didn't feel like analyzing right now. What she did analyze was the fact that Flynn was close to her, very close to her, and she liked it. She liked him and even though she'd never had feelings like this for anyone of the opposite sex ever before she was more than willing to explore them. Preferably right now when they were all alone with no twin brother to interrupt them and when he was just being one of the most understanding people in the entire world.

"Gemma?"

His questioning voice caused her to break out of her thinking and her gaze was back on him in an instant.

"Thank you," she said quickly and quietly, managing to give him a small smile in the process. "You have no idea what you've just done for me Flynn. I feel so much better now. You always make me feel better. Thank you."

Without even really thinking about her actions Gemma pulled her head away from Flynn's and quickly leaned up to brush her lips against his cheek in thanks. What she didn't expect was to have Flynn's head moving at the exact time and their lips to meeting in a very awkward position. Gemma felt her body freeze at the initial contact, shock radiating throughout her entire being as her lips touched Flynn's in the most innocent of ways. Part of her wanted to pull back, but that part was quickly told to shove it the very moment Flynn's surprise faded and his lips moved against hers.

Gemma panicked at first because Flynn was kissing her, really kissing her, and she had no idea what to do with herself. She'd never kissed anyone before and now she was being kissed. This was good reason to freak out, but not a good enough reason to pull herself away from his tentatively moving lips. So instead of focusing on what she didn't know how to do, Gemma decided to let her instincts hopefully take over for her.

So slowly, very slowly, and very hesitantly she moved her lips against his, and almost smiled when she felt Flynn smile against her lips. But she didn't trust her lips to do two things at once and she really wanted to get this kissing thing right so she let him do the smiling, as her lips started to get the hang of things. Flynn's lips were soft against her own as they moved together, pecking, gliding, and when his hand came up to lightly cup her cheek she instantly moved her body close to his own. She did her best to match his lips move for move and Gemma decided that kissing, when it made her insides tremble and quiver in all the right ways was amazing.

Gemma felt a curse bubbling in her mind the very moment her lungs started screaming for oxygen of some kind and she reluctantly pulled herself away from Flynn and those lips of his. She was breathing deeply when they finally disengaged from each other but smiled when she realized she wasn't the only trying to get her bearings back. She felt said smile widen the very moment Flynn pulled her flush against him and her arms immediately went to wrap around his neck.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that for lass," Flynn muttered.

"You have?" Gemma asked, surprised as she looked up into his eyes and seeing smiles right there.

"Yes you silly girl. I've liked you for awhile but I just didn't know what to do about it. You're always with Gem an' I didn' want to intrude on that. You've had him by your side longer than me lass an'…"

"You wouldn't have," she responds quickly, letting her fingers run along the base of his neck as their foreheads lean together once more. "Intruded I mean. I love my brother but he's just that. My brother. You're my teammate and my confidant and now..well what are you? Because I liked kissing you."

He chuckles and presses a kiss to her cheek in response to that and she can't help but giggle at the contact.

"I liked kissin' you too lass," he murmured softly. "I also like bein' your teammate an' your confidant because you're those things to me too. An' well what do you want to be? This is up to you here Gemma. I'm no' goin' to push you for somethin' you're not ready for."

Gemma felt herself pause at those words, and once more her heart was ready to melt at his words. He was going to let her take point on this, let her decide their fate, and Gemma was just absolutely floored by the gesture he was making. One that made her absolutely certain in her feelings for Flynn and in her next move when it came to him, her, and what they could be together.

"Flynn I want to be more than what we already are. I have no clue what that is but I just, I want to give it a try," she answered slowly, calculating her words to sound right. "I just know I want more. If you do."

"Oh I do. I promise I do. An' you're sure about this? You wan' to be more than friends? You wan' a relationship?"

"I really do. I may fail at it though. I've never been in one before."

When he laughs at her she simply glares at him and he does nothing but laugh more at her before pressing a kiss to her nose.

"Lass everyone thinks they'll fail at a relationship when it begins. We'll sort through it together."

"Sounds like a plan to me," she murmured before pulling her head away from Flynn's in order to bury her head against his chest. His hold on her tightens even more and another kiss is pressed to the top of her head as they just stand there like that for a few minutes, and Gemma knows that everything will be alright. Her nightmare was just that, a nightmare, and she'll get through the issues she has with the Wasteland in due time. Except with this time comes Flynn and his support and his ear to listen, when she's ready to divulge everything.

"Hey Flynn?" she mumbled into his chest, not quite ready to pull away from the comfort of his arms right now. In fact she would be quite content to spend the rest of her night there because really going back to sleep, even if she feels better, is not an option for her mind right now. She knows it was just a nightmare but she doesn't want to risk another one just yet. And really why would she want to go back to sleep when she's got Flynn right here with her?

"Yes?"

Gemma pulled her head away from his chest then and looked up at him with a small smile on her face.

"I don't really want to go back to sleep just yet. Do you think I can stay out here with you?"

Flynn simply smiled at the request and nodded before pulling his arms away from Gemma and stepping away from her. He gently grabbed her hand and she let him lead her out to the living area and straight to the couch. They settled on it fairly quickly, finding a comfortable position that involved Flynn's arms wrapped around her as she let her own body curl against his chest. It was nice, not saying anything, simply silent communication as they watched some sort of late night talk show together. Gemma nearly laughed at the calm atmosphere they'd set up in a matter of minutes. She hadn't expected this to happen tonight. Hadn't planned on her nightmare, and certainly hadn't planned on Flynn. But she guessed that sometimes you had to have some bad in your life before something really good happened. And she had already decided that Flynn was a good thing in her life and if she had to suffer a nightmare to get him like he was, well Gemma decided that she could certainly deal with that.

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**Feedback is always appreciated. Thank you for reading!**


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